The Turkish romantic drama film Last Call for Istanbul at first seemed to be highly inspired by What Happens in Vegas and the like, but there is an unexpected twist that changes the entire perception. To begin with, we have Samantha and Ryan, or so the two strangers decided to name each other. At the airport, when Ryan noticed Samantha, he could not take his eyes off her. He felt a strange attraction toward her, as if they were meant to be together forever. Ryan walked away with his luggage in hand, but he soon heard Samantha complain about hers. Someone took her suitcase and left behind his, and Ryan was ready to help her through the situation. The two strangers felt irresistibly attracted to one another, but there was one problem—they were both married!
Spoiler Alert
What happened between Samatha and Ryan in New York?
After figuring out that she would get her luggage the next day, Samantha decided to book a room at the hotel and spend the night there. Ryan was a little hesitant, but he ended up booking a room as well. Ryan repeatedly spoke about being faithful to his wife, yet he could not seem to take his mind off Samantha. We eventually find out in Last Call for Istanbul that Ryan was married to his college sweetheart, and he was still very much in love with her, whereas Samantha was not happy in her marriage, mostly because of the disagreements she had with her husband. He wanted kids, but she needed to focus on her career, which was why she could no longer envision her future with him.
Samantha seemed to be more open to criticizing her marriage and discussing its shortcomings, but Ryan believed he was really content with his wife and never felt the need to look for someone outside his marriage. The fact that Ryan was with Samatha at a rooftop bar in Manhattan told a different story, and from that moment on, there seemed to be more to the story than what we were told to believe. Ryan spoke about never wanting to cheat on his spouse, but he ended up following Samantha wherever she went. The two strangers had the time of their lives, and when they returned to the hotel, Ryan could not help but kiss Samantha. The night ended, and so did the pretense. We finally get to know that their actual names were Mehmet and Serin, and they were a married couple on the verge of divorce. The night was meant to be an escape from their reality, and while it did go well, their differences were almost impossible to resolve.
Why were Mehmet and Serin getting divorced?
Mehmet and Serin fell in love when they were in college. Serin had a boyfriend then, but she knew that her connection with Mehmet was way too strong to ignore. They soon became inseparable, and they planned their future together. Mehmet was a musician, and Serin was a designer. She was accepted into a college in New York, but she declined the offer, prioritizing her relationship. Serin’s father wanted Mehmet to focus on his future and provide for his daughter, and that was when Mehmet decided to quit music. He took up a desk job and sacrificed his dream of becoming a musician. The two later eloped to a foreign country and got married with only their friends as witnesses. Serin’s family found out about the marriage later.
They were happy during the first few years of their marriage, and they always prioritized their relationship whenever they made any decisions. It worked in their favor for quite some time, but soon Serin started to feel inadequate. She went on to regret not accepting the opportunity to study in New York, and it only kept getting worse with time. One day, she decided to apply to a New York fashion studio to design a collection for them, and they were interested in her designs. But Serin chose not to discuss it with Mehmet, and he eventually found the letter in her belongings. Mehmet could not forgive Serin for hiding such a crucial detail of her life from him. Serin was confident that Mehmet would discourage her from applying. She wanted to focus on her career, and she no longer cared if Mehmet agreed with her decision.
Their fights kept getting worse, and Mehmet became more and more insecure. Perhaps he was also a little jealous of her because he had sacrificed his passion to provide, and she dared to chase her dream. Their differences became impossible to resolve when Serin came across suggestive text exchanges between Mehmet and a woman named Cansu. Mehmet admitted knowing her, but he swore he had not cheated on Serin. But that was the breaking point for Serin. She decided to get a divorce, realizing that they were no longer happy together like they used to be. They consulted a marriage counselor, but their differences were irreconcilable, and they chose to get a divorce. On the last day of the session, their counselor suggested they try something new. She wanted them to give their love a chance, and that would only be possible if they approached one another as strangers. By doing so, they realized that they were still attracted to one another, but then again, would that be enough to get past their differences?
Did Mehmet and Serin end up together?
Serin was convinced that, even though she loved Mehmet, it was impossible to resolve their conflicts. She was still interested in taking up the job she was offered in New York, while he wanted to stay in Istanbul. He wanted her to give up on her job, and she was not ready to do so. Moreover, Serin realized Mehmet wanted to start a family, but she was not sure if she was ready yet. The future they wanted was starkly different, and with Mehmet constantly blaming Serin for all their problems, she became even more resolute with her decision to get a divorce.
By the end of Last Call for Istanbul, Serin started to enjoy her life in New York, and she found herself an apartment near her workplace. She had made up her mind about the divorce, but then she received a letter from Mehmet. He apologized for not being the perfect partner that she deserved, and he regretted talking to Cansu, knowing how terrible it made Serin feel. He realized that he should have supported her dreams instead of making her feel unloved and unhappy. Mehmet believed that maybe they could have approached the situation in a better way because he was ready to fight rather than simply give up on their relationship. He wanted to be the person Serin always returned home to. Having each other for support even when they grew old was reason enough for him to believe in giving their relationship a chance. Mehmet was still hopeful that they would make it because his love for her never died.
The film ends with Serin leaving for the airport in the middle of her shoot. She realized that she, too, did not wish to give up on their marriage, and to prove it, she had to travel back to Istanbul with Mehmet. He had left her a return ticket with the letter, and she was ready to head home. After some confusion at the airport, Mehmet and Siren were reunited. We can hope that Mehmet will help Siren focus on her career, and he, too, can find the time and place to play music like he used to. Siren sacrificed her dream of living in New York, and we can only hope that she does not give up on her design dreams once again.
Last Call for Istanbul‘s ending is such a cliche. Not all love stories need a happy ending, and this could have been better without one! Nonetheless, considering Mehmet and Serin chose each other even after all that they went through, perhaps they will manage to make it. In the end, once again, Serin lost her luggage at the airport, and the lovers could not stop laughing about the coincidence.
